PORTLAND — The Portland City Council will vote on whether to approve an ordinance allowing the city to accept an annual service charge for public services in lieu of property taxes on a prospective senior housing development in Portland at its Jan. 21 meeting.

The council heard the first reading of the proposed ordinance Jan. 7.

The WODA Group, LLC, is planning to redevelop the former Old School Manor and operate it as Portland School Apartments, a multiple family dwelling for low income seniors, said City Manager Tom Dempsey. The property is located at 306 Brush St.

Dempsey explained that the tax exemption ordinance would let the city accept payment equal to 10 percent of annual shelter rent for 15 years. Annual shelter rent is the total amount of rent collected from occupants, excluding utilities charges. Dempsey added that, if the building is fully occupied, the 10 percent amount will come close to what the city would have collected in property taxes.

The ordinance is required as a show of local support so the WODA Group can get financing from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and tax credits.

City council also confirmed Mayor James Barnes appointment of Nicole Sunstrum to the planning commission for a term expiring June 30, 2015, and of Paul Johnson to the board of review for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2015.

Dempsey noted there is still a vacancy on the zoning board of appeals, and said interested residents can pick up at application at city hall or on the city website, www.portland-michigan.org.

“We appreciate the people who have volunteered to become involved or continue to be involved in any of the boards and commissions,” Barnes said.

Dempsey reported to council that he has received a number of complaints about the picture quality of cable broadcasts and that he has spoken with WOW, the cable provider for 30,000 customers in the Portland area, which is “embarrassed by the occurrence” and working on a fix to the problem affecting more than 300,000 customers statewide. He said representatives told him the problem is due to “an unprecedented surge in bandwidth demand since Christmas.”

Dempsey acknowledged that, while the city lacks the authority to force WOW to take action, “they are taking the issue very seriously.

“It’s a quality-of-life issue in the city,” he said. “If we want to be a first-class city, we’ve got to have quality Internet and quality cable.”

Barnes said his experience has been that the company is “very receptive” to complaints, and has passed along help numbers and has sent out technicians.

“They’re trying,” he said, and suggested that WOW representatives could be invited to a city council meeting to talk directly with council members.